Newswire

Hooker Harness doubles IMCA special events awards

FREEPORT, Ill. – Hooker Harness doubles its financial commitment to special events competitors in its second year as an IMCA marketing partner. The custom-made seatbelt and shoulder harness manufacturer will give $50 product certificates to fifth-place finishers at 80 special events beginning this season. All eight sanctioned divisions are included in the newest agreement with the Freeport, Ill., company. Certificates will be mailed from the IMCA home office the week after official results from designated specials are received. All Hooker seat belts and harnesses are manufactured to individual customer specifications, so they are not manufactured until actually ordered. Any necessary alterations are made at no additional cost. Hooker’s pull-up, pull-down, adjustable and rotary harness systems all have IMCA applications. Information about Hooker Harness products is available at the www.hookerharness.com website, on Facebook or by calling 815 233-5479. “With Hooker Harness’ background in aviation and space exploration, it is easy to see why manufacturing quality restraints for race cars comes with the highest degree of expertise in the industry,” noted IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “I was able [Read More]

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Ricketts kicks off season with Sprint Car checkers on opening night at Kennedale

KENNEDALE, Texas (Feb. 27-28) – John Ricketts was the winged winner while Jay Bransom made two trips to victory lane on opening night of Kennedale Speedway Park’s Spring Kick-Off. Ricketts used the fast lower line to pass George White for the lead in Saturday’s IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Car headliner. Logan Payne eked ahead briefly before Ricketts fought back for the $1,000 victory. Bransom was a perfect 4-for-4 on the night, winning both his heat races and the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified and IMCA Sunoco Stock Car features. The fifth-starting Ricketts worked his way to the front just after midway in the Sprint Car 20-lapper. Payne chased him to the checkers, followed by Kyle Jones, White and Marcus Thomas. “I couldn’t have asked for any better start to the season than this,” Ricketts said. “I found good bite on the low side and was able to drive past him (White). Lapped traffic also helped.” “There was an issue later going into three when I got held up by another car and Logan got ahead [Read More]

Drivers in all eight IMCA divisions race for Summit Racing Equipment awards

TALLMADGE, Ohio – Summit Racing Equipment rewards drivers in all eight divisions sanctioned by IMCA again this season, giving gift cards with a total value of $14,000 based on final regional or national standings. Gift cards valued at $100 will be awarded to top 10 finishers in each of the five Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified regions, both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car regions and both IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock regions. The Tallmadge, Ohio, high performance parts retailer also gives $100 gift cards to top 10 drivers in national standings for IMCA Late Models, IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Cars, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center Southern SportMods and Mach-1 Sport Compacts. Gift cards will be presented during the national awards banquet in November or mailed from the IMCA home office beginning the following week. Now in its seventh season as an IMCA marketing partner, Summit also returns to the national decal program for Modifieds. Drivers in that division are required to display two Summit decals on their race car and send a picture of their [Read More]

Tri-City announces Student Recognition Program

AUBURN, Mich. (Feb. 29) – Tri-City Motor Speedway is partnering with area schools to celebrate their students’ accomplishments by rewarding them with an exciting night at the races. Schools located within a 50-mile radius of Auburn, Mich., with an active Student of the Week/Month or similar recognition program are eligible. Tri-City Motor Speedway is providing one complimentary grandstand race ticket for each recognized student at no cost to the school. Each student recognition ticket is good for one student and one parent into the grandstands for one race during the upcoming season (a $28 value). “We want to give back to our community while making a difference in people’s lives. I loved redeeming the free offers I received as the Student of the Week in school,” said Erika Puvalowski, TCMS marketing and business development director. “I worked hard and it made me feel good when I received them. I wanted to take it a step further by having a parent celebrate their child’s accomplishments together.” Area school officials can learn more about this program by downloading the [Read More]

Sprint Series of Oklahoma opens at Red River Roundup

By Darin Short WICHITA FALLS, Texas – This Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5, Red River Speedway near Wichita Falls will kick off the 2016 racing season with two days of open wheel racing at the Red River Roundup. The Red River Roundup will feature IMCA EMI RaceSaver Sprint Cars sanctioned through the newly-formed Sprint Series of Oklahoma. The main event pays $700 to win and a minimum of $250 to start on Friday and $1,000 to win and a minimum of $250 to start on Saturday. Non-qualifier pay each night is $100. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Allstar Performance State, special series and local track points will be awarded. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. each day with the grandstands open at 6 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday. Races are set to start at 8 p.m. on Friday and at 6 p.m. on Saturday. There is no entry fee and pit passes are $30. Drivers can pre-register at the track website, www.rrspeedway.com. Mufflers and RACEceivers are required. Grandstand admission is $15 [Read More]

Thornton captures Desert Classic loot

By Lonnie Wheatley PEORIA, Ariz. (Feb. 27) – Another Arizona Differential Desert Classic victory put another $5,000 in Ricky Thornton Jr.’s travel account Saturday night. Thornton was first when all 40 laps of the main event for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds were scored at Canyon Speedway Park. Ryan Ruter was briefly in front following a lap 29 restart but Thornton regained the lead, worked his way through heavy lapped traffic and beat Ruter to the checkers by most of eight car lengths. “I didn’t get a good restart but luckily I was able to drive by him out of (turn) two,” Thornton said. “I knew he wouldn’t be able to keep momentum going down the back straightaway.” Also the winner of Friday’s second Twin Twenty qualifying feature, jumped into the lead at the outset of the Saturday show. The first of just two yellows in that contest came on lap 22 and Thornton answered with his fastest lap time on the following circuit. Tim Ward, Ryan Gaylord and Cody Laney, winner of the first [Read More]

IMCA Late Models added to six Friday shows at Marshalltown

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Feb. 26) – The Friday night lights shine on IMCA Late Models six times this season at Marshalltown Speedway. Late Models tackle the ¼-mile dirt oval on June 10, July 1 and Aug. 5, 12, 19 and 26 in $600 to win events. “When we brought the Late Models back for three events last year, the interest level and the enthusiasm were crazy,” promoter Toby Kruse said. “We’re trying to give fans more of what they want by bringing them back this season.” A track champion will be crowned and IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and Allstar Performance State points awarded. A pro-rated point fund will be paid; the Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway at Des Moines is off all six nights Late Models are scheduled at Marshalltown. The Deery Brothers Summer Series makes its annual visit to Marshalltown on Tuesday, June 7, along with the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds. That will be the first time those series have raced on the same night at Marshalltown. “It will [Read More]

Big Daddy Race Cars backs IMCA’s Northern Hobby Stock region

NORFOLK, Neb. – The big name in the Northern Region for IMCA Hobby Stocks will be Big Daddy Race Cars again in 2016. For a third consecutive season, the Norfolk, Neb., chassis builder furnishes a portion of the $1,000 point fund to be paid to top five drivers in the region. The Big Daddy Northern Region encompasses IMCA tracks in eastern Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Big Daddy Race Cars builds both Hobby Stock and Stock Car chassis. The company was founded in 2005 and is owned by Dale Bittner. Information about Big Daddy-built chassis is available by calling 402 371-1927 or 402 841-4119, at the www.bigdaddyracecars.com website and on Facebook. Point fund shares will be presented during the national awards banquet in November or mailed beginning the following week from the IMCA home office. “This partnership has worked really well for the drivers in the Hobby Stock Northern Region and we’ve seen Big Daddy-built cars compete for the regional and national championship every year,” IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder [Read More]